


Waiting

by VictoriaSinclair



Category: Veronica Mars (Movie 2014), Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene, Movie Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-15
Updated: 2014-04-15
Packaged: 2018-01-19 10:45:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1466554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VictoriaSinclair/pseuds/VictoriaSinclair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>MOVIE SPOILERS. There's nothing to do in the hospital waiting room but talk about stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting

**Author's Note:**

> Just another little missing scene from the movie. Thanks to machaswicket for the beta work and especially for forcing this ending into the exact right amount of resolution, and to hollye83 for reading.

Logan stared blearily at the giant clock on the ER waiting room wall. 12:27 a.m. He nursed his third cup of terrible hospital coffee as he tried yet again to get comfortable in the stiff chair. He'd cut Veronica off after cup two - he figured something extra keeping her awake all night was the last thing she needed, and it wasn't like she was going to have to stay awake to drive anywhere. She'd barely protested when he cut her off, which absolutely proved how badly she was doing.

He then looked around the room, read the posters on the wall for a fifth time, trying desperately not to just sit there and stare at Veronica. He could admit to himself that not staring at her was a challenge for him under normal circumstances, and it was even harder now, when he feared she might actually fall apart at any moment.

She sat in the chair next to him, fidgeting, her face a shaky mask of calm, but he knew it, knew _her,_ well enough to know she was barely covering her panic. And he had no idea what he could fucking _do._

Of course, he had no right to assume _he_ could do anything. She had a boyfriend. Surely that's who she needed right now.

"Do you want to - call Piz?" he asked, hoping his voice wasn't stumbling over the words the way his brain was.

"No," Veronica said quickly, her voice almost breaking. "That probably wouldn't go over very well. He broke up with me."

"What?" Now Logan let himself stare at her. _What?_ What kind of idiot broke up with Veronica Mars? _You,_ he reminded himself sternly. Once upon a time, he'd been _exactly_ the idiot who'd broken up with Veronica Mars.

"Today. He broke up with me today." Veronica started laughing, and Logan wondered exactly how you were supposed to tell when someone was actually, literally hysterical, as opposed to colloquially hysterical. "And that real grown-up lawyering job? Gone. I've had a really, _really_ great day."

"Veronica . . ." he said helplessly, wondering if now was the time to hug her. He wasn't exactly sure of the protocol when your ex-girlfriend flew across the country to help you and then had her life fall apart. He settled for shifting toward her a bit, slinging his arm across the back of her chair. Casual. Right.

She leaned in toward him immediately, her head now inches from his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. How could you be?"

She laughed again, or sobbed, he couldn't quite tell. "Okay. I'm not fine. I didn't . . . mean for it to end like that. With Piz."

Logan was about to say "I'm sorry" when he realized that he was assuming this was somehow about him, and how self-centered was _that_? He settled for "What happened? I mean, if you want to . . ."

Veronica shrugged. "I need to talk about _something_ so I don't go crazy. So sure. Let's discuss how my boyfriend of a year dumping me over the phone was shockingly low on the list of bad things that happened today."

"You don't have to," he said quickly, but she kept talking, barely seeming to have heard him.

"His parents flew to New York to meet me. Today. And I stayed here."

"Oh." God, it _was_ his fault. Here he was, messing up her life, again. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," she said. "It was my choice, and it was obviously the right thing to do, and he couldn't see that."

"Okay."

"I should be more upset."

Logan just raised his eyebrows. If she were more upset he'd probably be trying to talk a doctor into medicating her.

"I mean, about Piz."

"Well. You've had a lot going on."

"Still. It made me . . . realize something." She looked at him, eyes shining with tears, and Logan felt his heart skip. Of course she couldn't mean . . .

"Oh?" he managed.

"He doesn't get it. He never got it, got _me_." Veronica shook her head, frustrated. "I mean . . . he's a good guy. He wouldn't want an innocent person - even you - convicted of _murder_. So if me not coming home was enough to break up over . . . then that means that he didn't believe I could clear you. He doesn't think me capable."

"Well, then he's insane, and he doesn't deserve you." Damn it, that had probably been a little too much honesty. Time to hedge. "Or maybe he just believes I'm guilty."

"Well, then, _that_ would mean he doesn't trust my judgment. Either way, I've spent a year of my life with someone who questions my intellect or my judgment or both. You can see I've really gotten a lot better at this whole relationship thing." She offered him a shaky smile, and it was all Logan could do not to lean over and kiss her. Apparently the news that she no longer had a boyfriend had brought all his walls of denial crashing to the ground. _Not the time, Echolls,_ he told himself. They were waiting for news about her father's life-threatening injuries, for God's sake. Kissing him was undoubtedly the last thing on her mind.

"So, a year?" he asked, figuring it was a safe question now that she'd mentioned it twice. "You weren't with him since - "

"Oh, God, no," Veronica broke in. "Last year Wallace flew out to New York to visit both of us, so we were all hanging out, and . . . I don't know, it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Okay. Speaking of Wallace - do you want to call him? Or Mac? I'm sure they'd come . . ."

Veronica shook her head. "I don't think I can explain what happened without completely losing it."

"I could call," he offered. Surely she needed _someone_ with her. But then, this was Veronica. Needing people had never been her strong suit.

"Let's not worry them until we have actual news," she said, and then he saw the instant a wave of embarrassment hit her face. "Oh, God, I'm sorry, do you have to go? I didn't mean you had to stay. It's late . . ."

"No, no, I'm not going anywhere. Unless you'd rather I left."

Panic flashed across her face. "I want you to stay."

"Of course." He figured he should try one more time. "I swear, I wasn't implying I wanted to leave. I just thought you might want one of your friends here too."

Veronica shook her head, confused. "You're here."

"Okay." So she considered him a friend, at least. He could live with that.

"Logan . . ."

"Yeah?"

"I don't think I ever actually thanked you."

"What for?"

"You _saved my father's life_."

"Oh." Logan shrugged a little, uncomfortable. It wasn't like he was a hero or something. He'd just been in the right place at the right time. "I just . . . did what had to be done."

"Not everyone would have done that, risked themselves like that."

"You're welcome," he said, since that was clearly what she wanted.

Veronica was quiet for a moment, and Logan realized she was finally losing the battle against her tears.

"Veronica? Hey, it's okay. He'll be okay." _Please, God, don't let me be lying to her._

"It's just - it was so close - " She could barely get the words out. "A few seconds earlier and _both_ of you - "

"Hey, no, don't think like that," he said, but she just cried harder, and he finally gave in and wrapped his arm around her.

"Thanks," she whispered, dropping her head onto his shoulder. "I'm sorry, it's just . . . I'm kind of tired . . ."

"It's fine." He let himself kiss her forehead, hoping the familiar gesture would be somehow soothing. "And that truck? Come on. After everything else, the universe isn't getting rid of me that easily, Mars."

She smiled up at him through her tears. "Promise?"

Logan nodded, but any words of reassurance stuck in his throat. As Veronica herself kept reminding everyone, California had the death penalty, and it wasn't like his life was risk-free at the best of times. For a moment he wished he could just lie to her, pretend the world was a happy, uncomplicated place, but that wasn't who they were.

He was saved by the appearance of a nurse in the doorway, frowning down at her clipboard. "Veronica Mars?"

Logan started to nudge Veronica, in case she hadn't heard, but she was already flying out of her chair. "Yes? I'm here."

"The doctor's ready to talk to you."

Veronica nodded and took a step, then looked back at Logan with a panicked expression. Yet again, he wasn't sure what she wanted from him.

"I can wait right here, or - "

But Veronica grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "I can't do this alone."

The nurse shook her head doubtfully as they approached. "Immediate family only . . ."

Veronica barely spared the woman a look as she charged past her, gripping Logan's hand. "He's coming with me."


End file.
